Knife Pleat

One of our favorite places! Consistently amazing.

I had another delightful dining experience at Knife Pleat! The cuisine and service were impeccable, with the heated patio providing a relaxing and comfortable environment. Chef Esnault prepared his always delicious risotto, topped with some of the freshest and most fragrant black truffle I've had in recent memory. The special, Scottish Wood Pigeon, was beautifully lacquered and served over roasted wild mushrooms and demi glace, with sautéed root vegetables and a special addition. Sommelier, Victor, has curated a diverse cellar which pairs well with any dish on the menu.

Outstanding meal. The Breem was fantastic and the venison was the best I have tasted. Dishes were superb as was the service. Highly recommend.

Fabulous food - delicious and beautifully presented - servers are fantastic, a definite 'must'!

If you’re looking for a wonderful and intimate dinner with your spouse/significant other or a few friends, Knife Pleat is the spot! It is higher priced, but well worth the experience you won’t get anywhere nearby.

One of the most amazing and decadent meals we’ve ever had. And this was even on Valentines (which we all know is not the best time for a great meal).
Will be back many times for sure

Absolutely first class food. Beautiful, imaginative, impeccably prepared. Excellent wine pairings with a knowledgeable sommelier to offer information. Waitstaff happy to answer questions about dishes and well informed. Given covid restrictions, we were on the patio rather than indoors. The furniture seemed to me a bit informal for a restaurant at this level; no flowers on the table. But that is very minor. The service was excellent, and we had an outstanding, memorable meal that marked a special occasion very appropriately. I would say it was good value given the right comparison--high level destination restaurants in New York or Paris, for instance. Compliments to the chef, all the kitchen staff, and the entire front-of-house staff.

Everything here is artful & delicious and the patio setting is tranquil. The ivory soup (winter vegetables, chestnuts, and truffle) was memorable. We are lucky to have this talented chef in OC!

Upon reopening after the state-mandated restaurant closure, the service and cuisine proved resilient. Both are excellent.

We had a perfect lunch experience before the Governor's lock down. Great service and delicious foods. Thumbs up.

Wonderful food, best frites crispy outside creamy inside. Serene civilized like the best French dining experiences. Wonderful butter that they churn themselves. Yummy cocktails. Professional but friendly not snooty service. Lovely experience in open air patio. Pecan and pumpkin tart excellent.

We waited over 25 minutes to be seated and spent 2 hours for lunch. Food was good but pricey. The chance for us to go back is zero, as we don’t care to spend a whole afternoon just for lunch.

Good food but the seating was limited

Foods were excellent and service was impeccable.

Contemporary French food. Very well done. Beautiful patio and decor. service is excellent.

Knife Pleat has done an excellent job of creating a pleasant ambience on their outdoor patio. The presentations were beautiful and the food delicious and perfectly prepared. While all the servers and kitchen staff were very Covid compliant I was a bit concerned that there was a gentleman in a dark suit who was talking to the chef by the restroom entrance without a mask, and he later went to at least two tables unmasked. It is imperative that all staff and management wear masks during the pandemic.

Excellent food and wonderful service! The duck is to die for, cooked perfectly. My 12-year old son, who has never had venison, loved it. We felt very safe eating in the patio.

Simply amazing food and service! Highly recommend

Friendly service , good food .. relaxing ambience

Every visit to Knife Pleat is an exciting culinary adventure. Chef Tony Esnault and his staff consistently deliver the best of modern French cuisine. I dare say no one else in the Orange County area is cooking at such a high level. The presentations are as delicious as they are beautiful. In an ode to Provence, a tender pan seared halibut was served along side a trio of braised, fermented and sauced fennel, dotted with gorgeous green olives. The Guinea Hen was served as a duo, poached and confit. A piece of the warm housemade bread was required to mop up every last bit of the two velvety accompanying sauces. Finally, an autumnal apple and vanilla panna cotta with earl grey crumble was a perfect ending to a memorable dinner. The wine list is well curated and offers something for a wide variety of palettes. Service at Knife Pleat is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. I look forward to returning as soon as possible.

Had a catch up lunch at Knife Pleat with a friend and requested seating on their private patio--just delightful and excellent safety protocols.

We both ended up with the three course prix fixe lunch which for $34 is an astonishing deal for cuisine of this quality. In my book, best French food in OC and prepared in a light, flavorful way using ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced.

Heirloom tomato salad, Diver scallops with beautifully arranged fall vegetables and a delicious panna cotta for dessert with apple accents. All temperatures perfect. We did some ad-ons--the French pastry chef makes not only their own bread, but butter! Also had an assortment of olives and chef Tony Esnault's signature black truffle Brie which has delicious decadent layers. Nice selection of French wines by the glass.

Highly recommend!

Consistently delicious! Always leave satisfied and happy!

The food was delicious ,wait staff explained each dish and components which made the meal even more interesting and enjoyable. The desserts were perfect not too sweet and perfect marriage of flavors . The best pannecotta ive ever had

This is a place that wants you to think this is fine French cuisine but it just isn't. I had their Duck Cassoulet for lunch. It was a duck leg in beans with a few extra undercooked pieces of celery in it. No crunch crust, no sausage, no bacon. Just kind of boring. I suppose the chef imagined they were simplifying and deconstructing the class dish. The marketing department said, "And it's really great that we can make it so cheaply and still charge $32 for it."

It is a nice place with good decor and ambience but for me it's all about the food and it was really lacking.

Excellent food and service! I would highly recommend this great addition to Orange County!

Poor selection poor service way too expensive for what was served

Very nice setting. Outdoor seating meet and exceed all safety guidelines. Food is excellent and service is outstanding too. The lunch set menu is an excellent value.

Great food and service. Loved tasting menu

Excellent food and service, save room for desert.

Beautifully designed, elegant casual seating, superb layout. Pristine kitchen! Handcrafted cocktails to enjoy, great variety of wine and premium spirits. We love the place! And that was before we tested the food. We chose the Lobster Caesar as an appetizer before our lunches. The Pre-Fixe menu was well thought out and great portions. Butternut squash bisque to start. Delicious! Sea Bream was to die for. Crispy skin, tender & moist flesh!! Accompanied by Brussel Sprouts, Mushrooms, and Roasted Miniature Potatoes! The Fig Panna Cotta was amazing, and I usually do not like any dessert. But I thoroughly enjoyed this creation by Chef Esnault! Thank you for a wonderful meal and a very enjoyable experience. We shall see you this coming Friday for the Chef Tasting Menu! Our server and the restaurant's entire staff were amazing. This is the art of fine dining at its best! They made us feel at home and wonderfully comfortable. We love everything about Knife Pleat!

We went for my wife’s birthday and we really enjoy it

The service was very polite and attentive. Unless it is hot, I recommend eating outside, though the interior decor is nice.
The old fashioned, mushroom pasta, and Louis XV are sure to please.

The food is delicious. Chef Tony is very skillful at his craft. The service is friendly and attentive. Their wine selection is outstanding. Great for lunch or dinner.

Excellent!

Such a treat...beautiful and comfortable seating, very accommodating on special requests, food and service impeccable....10 out of 5 stars

Everything was excellent. The service was great. The food was delicious. Overall we had a great experience.

Great food and great service

We enjoyed everything!!! Beautiful

So happy they are back to doing business. Chef Tony is amazing!!! The wine list is fabulous and the menu changes all the time based on what fresh ingredients are available. Service is top notch. They will wait on you hand and foot. Ya know the restaurant has class when the waiter picks up your party is celebrating an occasion when nobody mentions anything. For example, we went to celebrate my birthday and I had a little bday gift bag on the bench next to me. None of us had mentioned anything to the waiter and he picked up that someone in our party was celebrating a birthday and prepared a wonderful little dessert bday celebration. Service like that is so rare nowadays. Please do yourself a favor and go. I recommend sitting out In the garden terrace as the tables are very charming.

Our experience at Knife Pleat was great. Sid, our server was a delight! All the staff were so nice from our hostess to all the water service and everyone we encountered. The food was excellent and so bright! We look forward to going again soon.